pearl1

Erm....has it gone again? We had no broadband last night, it was back by mid morning but now it seems to be gone again? Or is it just me?

Has Toasted changed management? Things look very different inside....

I work in Deptford and use the (smaller) post office there, where there are often 3 staff members on the counter and never a queue of more than 2 or 3 customers. Why can't the Lordship Lane P.O. offer the same service?

Ditto recycling textiles and electricals. Also my blue bin often overflows I only have a box. My house opens directly onto the street (no front garden) so I don't have the large blue wheelie bin as it would obstruct the pavement. Therefore I often used those large communal bins for the overflow. Also I don't have a car, so getting from ED to OKR would be a major hike.

That's interesting. I never would have thought of that! I'll try and take a photo next time I'm there....

There's a little duck on Peckham Rye pond at the moment that doesn't look like a mallard. It's much smaller and has a whitish head with a darker cap. Does anyone know what it is or is it just a regular juvenile duck?

Toasted does excellent coffee and it's my favourite to sit in, but I always get my commute coffee from Blackbird Bakery - It's good and they make it exactly how you ask them to....

No Internet for the last couple of hours (Down by station).... Anyone else having trouble?

The bowling club on the south circular. Beautiful palm trees in the garden....

Visitors for today's game have parked on both sides of Burrow/Abbotswood Roads, making it almost impossible to get through. Lucky our car is small - an emergency vehicle certainly would not have been able to pass through. Not only totally inconsiderate (what's wrong with the car park?) But worrying considering the plans to extend the club and build 60 homes with only 30 parking spaces. Also, if the game was at 3.00pm, why are people still shouting and blowing whistles at 9.0'clock?

The model provided for the consultation left a lot to be desired. The flats appear to be built to the same height as Sainsburys when in fact (confirmed by Hadley's representative) they will actually be two stories taller. Parking spaces for only half the flats when there is no nearby on-road parking is ridiculous and when it was pointed out there was no parking for supporters or coaches (for teams visiting DHFC) Hadley's man told us that coaches would park in the disabled bays!!!!

Seriously now, the best croissants are definitely from Boulangerie Jade but the best almond croissants are from Blackbird Bakery..

I've seen babies in the pond in the Japanese garden before now (probably a couple of years ago) and saw an adult in the duck pond a few weeks ago....

I just had a gigantic moth in the house - at least 3 inches across. Is that at all unusual? I've never seen one before. It was either black or very dark. Had to turn off lights to get it out do not entirely positive on colour.

Some great stories! I worked in the nursery at Heber for a couple of years and loved it (though not the headteacher at the time!) I also painted a couple of murals but don't know if they're still there.

Are there any owls around here? I could swear I heard one along greendale a few nights back, but that's the first time in 17 years! Is it possible or am I imagining it?

I'm trying to arrange an Elvis themes evening out but am having no luck finding a restaurant or show. Something like the old gracelands on the old Kent road. Does anyone know of such a place?

thank you. I love the wall on Crawthew - it cheers me up every time I go past it. There's also some art i look out for on the train into london bridge. It's on the side of an old factory in peckham and it's a bit 'bikerish' with crows and stuff. Anyone know anything more about that?

Is there a definitive list of where these paintings are? I'd like to see them all and try to match them to the gallery paintings myself! Also can anyone recommend any other noticeable/memorable street art or murals I could see in dulwich...

When I applied for secondary school place (10 years ago) I was corrrected by the admissions person at Southwark. I was told parents don't have 'choice' they have 'preference' - small detail but it is one that is overlooked by most people. It's about time for change. We didn't get into charter despite the fact that it is only a 15 min walk from our house - instead we got sent to Harris Girls (then Waverly). In retrospect it worked out really well BUT it is a 40 minute walk. The same thing happened before that with primary - we never got a place at Dog Kennel Hill (we live on the St Francis Develeopment)but we did get a place at Heber - again a fine school but a 30 minute walk for a five year old? that was tough for a while! The reason I felt cheated by not getting a Charter place at the time, was because the council (or whoever) had recently put up wooden plaques all over Greendale and the surrounding area, stating it was a safe walking route. Charter ignored that. When we appealed we were told by the appeals board to try and improve the school we had been offered by joing the PTA and haveing jumble sales! Not exactly the point we were appealing on...

Please don't be mean about Harris Girl's by suggesting they teach hairdressing - they don't! What they do, is (same as most secondary schools) offer vocational training through local authority colleges to students unlikey to achieve 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE. These courses vary from year to year depending on what is available from the local college, and involve some level of choice from the student. This seems like a good thing to me?

Can anyone tell me if the proposal for building flats on the DHFC car park still ongoing?

This might be a dozy question to a lot of people but I need to phone someone on their mobile in Africa and was wondering (a) Can I buy one of these phonecards anywhere and (b) would I need a particular kind of card? Thanks

....DHFC were definitely using the car park today. There was an event on and the car park was full... Also. I don't think the parking from the 5 a side is a massive problem right now BUT with 60 extra homes on that corner, and no parking for the football club or gymn, there definitely would be a problem.